When Love & Hate Collide
by JaceLover01
Summary: *BLOOD PROMISE SPOILERS* Rose is back at the Academy and ready to get on with her life...but with Dimitri drawing closer every day, tension rises and the clock ticks down. Will she save him before its too late, or will he kill her before she can kill him?
1. Prologue

**Hey everyone. Okay, so I just finished Blood Promise yesterday (I finished it in one day!) and I coudn't stop myself from writing a fan fiction because I'm going crazy thinking about what's going to happen in Spirit Bound! To those of you who read my other Vampire Academy story _Blood Promise: Awakened_**** this does NOT mean that I'm going to stop writing on that story too, because I'm going to finish it to the end :)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own.**

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**Prologue**

After you've been faced with the choice of dying or becoming undead, you really get a new appreciation for living your life. One day at a time, little steps is what you have to take to get back on the track of how things are supposed to be. Of course, people heal and move on at their own pace. Some people faster than others, some more confidently than others. You have to keep strong and keep going on with your life, no matter what happens and no matter what obstacles you've faced, and trust me, I've faced them all.

No one said life is easy, after all. No one said that love was easy, and no one said that losing the one person you'll ever truly love is easy. I know from firsthand experience. You know in Titanic how Rose had to pry Jack's cold, lifeless hands off that piece of floating debris she was laying on? Ever think about how she might have been feeling in that moment? Sure, he was already dead and gone, but she had to push his body into the Atlantic Ocean, never to see him again. I'm sure to her it felt like she was killing him herself.

Well, that is what I did. I killed the man I love. No, I didn't push his body into the Atlantic Ocean. I drove a silver stake into his chest, making him fall into the Ob River in Russia near Novosibirsk. However, days after I thought I'd delivered the kill, I discovered that I hadn't. I had irresponsibly ignored the second most important rule of combat: never turn your back until you're sure your enemy is dead. The first most important rule of combat is do not hesitate. I had broken both of these rules in the space of just a little over a week.

I know, I know. I'm supposed to be Rose Hathaway, expert Strigoi killer. After all, I'd killed more than I could possibly count in the last couple months. I'm not supposed to hesitate, and I'm not supposed to turn my back until I'm absolutely positive that my enemy is dead. But this last time, I didn't, because I was so weakened both physically and emotionally. But could you blame me? Would you have been able to kill the man you were in love with without a second thought? I didn't think so.

But he was a Strigoi. I had no choice but to try to kill him. It was what he wanted; it was what I had promised him I would do, long ago, when we'd discussed the subject. I had to free his soul and let him find peace.

You see, a Strigoi is one of three types of vampires we have in our world. They are evil and sadistic, and they kill without a second thought. They kill to survive. Sure, it's survival of the fittest, but they go about it in a sick way. They drink the blood of their victims until their bodies have no more blood. They do this forcefully, or they kill the person before they begin to drink. Some Strigoi are forcefully made, however, and some choose this sick way of life. The ones who are turned forcefully…well, they get their blood drank and then they are made to drink the Strigoi's in return, thus making a new Strigoi. The ones who choose, however, drain a person's blood killing them. Like I said, it's sick, it's evil, and it sure as hell is twisted. The only way a Strigoi can be killed is in one of three ways: decapitation, setting them on fire, or driving a silver stake into their heart. The silver stakes are made of four different types of magic by Moroi who specialize in those elements.

The second type of vampires in our world, however, are Moroi. They're the good ones. They're the Batman to the Strigoi's Joker. Many Moroi come from one of the twelve royal families, but there are plenty of non-royals too. However, all have the power to wield one of the four magical elements: fire, earth, air, and water. Though not long ago, my best friend and bond, Lissa, and I discovered that there was indeed a fifth element: spirit. When a person wields spirit, others think that they just don't specialize and just keep low control over all four of the other elements. But that's not the case. Spirit is powerful. It can give the Moroi super powerful compulsion, they can see auras, and they can even heal. One particular spirit user I know, however, can walk in people's dreams…he likes walking in mine particularly. I'm sure you know who I'm talking about: Adrian Ivashkov. However, very recently, I learned from a spirit user I had met that they can also "brush" people's minds, seeing their thoughts and memories and even the powerful ones can create fantasies in people's minds. I'd had that done to me by a twisted Moroi girl who had specialized in spirit: but she got what came to her. She had created a bond with two people: her guardian, and her brother. The spirit that she had sent out to fight with had come back to all three of them forcefully, completely frying their brains. No more bad magic using for them I guess.

When a person makes a bond, it makes their bond shadow-kissed. That means that in order for a person to be shadow-kissed, they must be brought back to life after they die. I am shadow-kissed. I died in a car crash with Lissa's family and she had brought me back, making a bond between us, however it only works one way. I can get inside her head and hear her thoughts and feelings, but she can't do the same to mine. It frustrated her often, but she dealt with it. She had enough to deal with anyway.

Now, the third type of vampire that exists is dhampirs. I, myself, am a dhampir. Dhampirs are half-Moroi, half-human. They are created by a Moroi and a dhampir reproducing. However, two dhampirs cannot reproduce. Don't ask me how or why because I'm no geneticist and I have no clue how any of this works. Just trust me. Anyway, dhampirs have some advantages that Moroi don't: we're sturdier, we have more muscle mass in our bodies, and we are damn good combat fighters. Most dhampirs train to become guardians to Moroi, but a very few choose to settle down after a while. There are many more men dhampirs than women ones, however, since the women usually decide to stay home with their children. But not me – I don't even have any children, but you get the point.

When a guardian kills a Strigoi, they get molnija marks on the back of their neck. It's basically two tiny lightning bolts crisscrossing each other in the shape of an "X". I currently have two and a star on my neck, the star meaning that I have killed many Strigoi in battle.

Yes, I know what you're thinking: man, this girl is messed up! No, I'm not. I've just seen things that would blow your mind and make you hide under your blankets for a month.

Others may be thinking: I want to be like her! No, you don't. No one wants to be like me, or even be me, for that matter.

Just keep that in mind next time you want to go out and kill a bunch of evil vampires or fall for a guy who's seven years older than you before he turns into one of the said evil vampires.

Nothing good comes of it. Trust me. Remember: I know this from experience.

So, the only thing left for you to do is hear about it since you have yourself convinced that you really don't want to be me.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

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	2. Chapter One

**Okay, thanks for the first reviews :) Here is the awaited chapter one!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own.**

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**Chapter One**

Even though I knew I was just dreaming, the thought didn't comfort me in the least. I hated having dreams like these – this one in particular – over and over again like a broken record. They all started out the same – with Dimitri being a dhampir again. But then they always morphed into something terrible and frightening. A monster I couldn't escape and would never completely rid myself of no matter how long my life turned out to be. And at this point, a long lifespan didn't look too promising.

In my dream, Dimitri stood in front of me in his usual attire: faded jeans, a t-shirt, and of course that old cowboy duster. We were standing outside by the edge of the woods and when I looked to my left, I could see the Academy's towers. We were out at the edge of the premises near the old guardian cabin. "Roza," he said softly, moving forward and putting his hand on my upper arm right below my shoulder.

I looked up at him, my brow furrowed. He was so real, so normal. He was just like he used to be, before he turned into something horrible and unnatural. "I can save you," I said, and I wasn't surprised to hear that my voice was pleading, as if I was begging him. Most of my dreams concerning Dimitri started out his way.

Dimitri shook his head. "No, Roza, you can't. Not now. It's already too late." His voice was soft and caring and full of love – his voice hadn't sounded like that at all while he'd had me trapped at the house he'd held me hostage in. He was so different in my dream – I don't even know why I was telling him in my dream I could save him since he was still a dhampir.

I moved forward and gripped his arms in my hands. He was so much taller than me, making me look up at him. I could feel my eyes burning with tears as my voice cracked while saying, "It's not too late, Dimitri. Please. Please let me try."

Then, right before my eyes, Dimitri changed quickly. His skin turned pale, his brow eyes were ringed in red and fangs grew in his mouth, sharp and deadly. His tone also turned icy cold. He jerked his arms away and stepped back. "I said no!" he hissed at me, angry and deadly. "I don't want to be saved!"

I faltered and took a step towards him despite my better judgment. "But…don't you love me?"

"No," Dimitri said firmly, staring me down as if I was his worst enemy – and in a way I was. "I do not love you, Rose."

I felt tears streak down my cheeks at his words. I swallowed down the lump in my throat and tried, "But…you do. You said so in the cabin. Remember?"

"That meant nothing to me," Dimitri said in the same cold voice he'd used before that tore my heart out. Why did he have to be a Strigoi? Why wasn't I good enough?

"Please Dimitri, you have to let me help you," I said, my voice breaking as I moved forward to touch his arm.

In the next second I flew backwards and hit the ground as he attacked me, seething angrily. "I said no!" he yelled, making me flinch. "I gave you all the time in the world, Rose, to make your decision. But you didn't. Now it's too late," he said as he leaned down and roughly bit into my neck. I screamed and writhed beneath him.

"Rose! Rose!" My mother and Lissa stood above where I lay in my bed. My hair was damp with sweat, but the grossness of that was the least of my worries. I had tears streaking down my cheeks and I was shaking uncontrollably.

I didn't say anything at first when I saw them both looking down at me like I was some kind of nutcase, but there was concern in their eyes. How did they know I was having a bad dream? I was in my own room again, not in a room that I shared with anyone.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked them, sitting up and wiping my eyes quickly to get rid of any traces of tears.

Lissa looked at me as if I was asking a question I should have already known the answer to. "Rose, you were screaming. I heard you when I was walking past to go to the feeders."

"And then she came to get me," my mother said, her usually hard expression softened with worry. Our relationship still wasn't the absolute best in the world, but it was a hell of a lot better than it had been before. We actually talked now and she actually took interest in things concerning me. I guess my disappearing for those six or seven weeks really changed our outlook on things. I guess it made both of us realize that we won't live forever and we needed to fix things while we still could.

"It's nothing," I told them, running a hand through my hair. They looked unconvinced as I should have known they would.

"Lissa, could you give us a minute?" my mother asked, looking over at Lissa, her words polite.

Lissa nodded her head, already heading towards the door. "Of course," she said and looked back at me and gave me a meaningful look that I took to mean that we would talk later about this. Once she walked out of the room, my mother pulled up a chair near my bed and sat down, her eyes studying me for a moment.

"Rose, you and I both know that it is not 'nothing'." She said, and it was clear that she wanted answers as to me waking up screaming and crying.

I was silent for a few moments, staring down at my hands before I looked back up at her. "He didn't want me to save him," I said quietly, moving my eyes from her to stare down at the floor. "He doesn't want me to save him, and he doesn't love me."

I had already talked to her about my and Dimitri's relationship situation and, I'll admit, she wasn't too thrilled at first, but finally she loosened up saying that if it was what made me happy, then so be it. I was shocked to say the least, but happy she didn't completely flip out over it.

My mother reached out and took my hand and squeezed it. "It was a dream, Rose. It doesn't mean anything," she said, her words gentle but fierce – just like her, I'd come to realize.

I gave my shoulders a shrug and took a deep breath. "What if I can't, though? What if I can't save him?" I asked her, wanting desperately to hear comforting words instead of the cold hard truth – that I really may not be able to.

"You will," my mother said. "You've come this far, haven't you?" she said. "You'll do what you have to, Rose. I know you will," she said. Her confidence in me still surprised me even though she'd said she had it in me when we talked. It was nice to hear after all those years of being ignored.

I just nodded and then I got up, running my hand through my unruly dark hair again. "I'm hungry," I said, realizing that it had been about time for me to wake up anyway. "I think I'll go downstairs and eat."

My mother nodded. "Alright," she said. "I haven't had anything either and I need to go talk to Alberta about something. See you on the quad," she said and gave a smile before she walked out of my room, shutting my door behind her. Alberta had given her the opportunity to become one of the novice trainers. Alberta was still the one giving me the extra sessions but my mother still worked with me and all the other novices during practice. After all, who wouldn't take her on as one of the trainers? She was pretty damn badass for a person smaller than me – but she made up for it with skill.

When my mother walked out, I grabbed a pair of sweatpants for my training and a t-shirt. I pulled my hair back in a tight ponytail and pulled on my shoes before I walked out of my room and downstairs to go to the dining hall. I didn't see Lissa in there – I guessed she must have been at the feeders still…but I did see Christian. I made my way over to him and sat down, pulling a plate of food towards me.

"Hungry much?" he asked rhetorically as he watched me wolf down my breakfast.

I swallowed almost painfully and smirked, "Better than starving myself," I said simply as I took a gulp of orange juice.

Christian gave a half shrug. "I suppose so." He looked like he was going to say something else but stopped himself before he did. I had a feeling that it was about Lissa.

It frustrated me that he was so hard headed about the whole thing between Lissa and Aaron. But I guess in a way he had a point – Lissa should have told him in the first place seeing as it was always worse when you had to find out from a secondary source.

Lissa came in and sat down on my other side, looking over at Christian. "Hey," she said quietly.

Christian took a drink of his milk and didn't even look at her. "Hello," he said, sounding completely formal. I could feel the hurt that Lissa felt pass through the bond. Oh how I wanted to give Christian hell for that.

But before I could say anything, Christian looked towards the doorway leading into the dining hall and his brow furrowed. "Hey, who's that guy talking to your mom?"

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**If you want more, you have to REVIEW!!!**


	3. Chapter Two

**Here's the next chapter everyone - and look, it's my longest chapter yet! Thank you all for your reviews so far, so keep them coming!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it.**

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**Chapter Two**

I turned my head to look where Christian had indicated and, I'll be honest, I wasn't prepared for what – or rather _who_ – I saw. I guess I should have known that there was no way I wouldn't end up coming face to face with him again. I think it was part of his job or something – well, in a sense of the word. He was his own boss, my mother had told me.

His tan skin and dark hair made me recognize him instantly. Or maybe it was that certain air he had about him, that he was an all-powerful man. Hey, he may be my father, but he's kind of conceited, I'll admit. Maybe that's where I get that trait from.

I looked at Lissa and Christian and said, "I'll be right back." I was half hoping that they would find this as an excuse to talk to one another and, hopefully, make amends.

They looked at me with confusion, but I got up anyway and walked towards the door, ignoring others watching me. I was starting to get used to it after I'd been away for seemingly so long without so much as a word of my whereabouts. It was kind of expected I suppose.

My mother caught me in here peripheral vision as I walked to the door, looking between them. She said something to Abe that I couldn't quite hear and he, too, turned to look at me.

"Rose…don't you have to go to the quad? Guardian Petrov is probably waiting for you," she said to me, looking almost like a deer caught in the headlights – a first for my mother.

I looked at her and shook my head, "No, not for another ten minutes," I told her, trying to figure out why she was looking uncomfortable all of a sudden. I turned my attention to Abe who was standing there quietly the entire time. "What are you doing here?" I asked him. My tone wasn't rude, just curious.

"Rose," my mother said, looking at me with that I-am-your-mother-do-as-I-say look. It was obvious she wanted me to give them a moment to talk, but I ignored her as Abe looked down at me.

"I am here because of you," he said simply. "I received word from one of my…ah, 'friends'," he said, and I knew what friends he was talking about. He was talking about those big guardians he'd had with him when I'd been trying to stop Viktoria from staying with the Moroi guy who'd been a total and complete scumbag. I tried not to think of it as Abe continued, "that there is someone who is keeping their eye on you. I don't know who it is yet, but I do know it's someone that you obviously know. They are reporting to your Strigoi…Dimitri, isn't it? Yes, well, they're reporting your whereabouts to him. I have several people keeping a 'watch' out on him and he's making plans to move in on you," he finished.

My mother looked at him like he was Einstein reincarnated or something. The guy was smart and had his resources, I had to admit, as much as I was grudging to.

My mother instantly tensed up, a sign that she was surprised. It was almost inconspicuous, but I had caught it, and when Abe's eyes flickered to her before moving back to me, I could tell he noticed it too. "But…no," my mom said, shaking her head. "There's no way. How could we not notice someone keeping tabs on Rose and reporting back to Dimitri? And besides, he can't get into the school grounds because of the ward."

"Wards can be broken," Abe and I said at the same time, but we didn't acknowledge it. I pursed my lips slightly in thought. I was disturbed, to be honest. Yes, after all I'd been through, and all I had seen, _this_ out of everything disturbed me. Not everyone was innocent, though. Even though the Academy was a safe place, I still had my enemies. Jesse Zeklos and his buddy Ralf, to name a few; there were a few others that I wasn't on completely friendly terms with, but still, I didn't think any of them would be helping a Strigoi try to kill me – particularly Dimitri.

Hell, Dimitri scared half of them while he was my soft-hearted mentor – I could just imagine how they would be if they encountered him while he was a Strigoi. They would probably run away screaming to hide under their blankets.

Finally, Abe broke my train of thought as he said, "Stay unattached to others here."

I looked at him. "But I can't stay unattached from Lissa," I told him stubbornly. "She's my bondmate. It's impossible. Lissa is the one I can trust. I can trust Christian and Adrian too."

After all, Adrian was the one who had kept popping into my dreams while I was away just to make sure I was okay. Not to mention he had feelings for me that was more than that of friends. He was a good, trustworthy guy. Christian was too, if he would just stop being a stubborn jackass and talk to Lissa again.

Abe sighed, "Alright, fine, but only those three. None others," he said, looking dead serious. He was lethal, so you can obviously see the pun in that.

My mother nodded in agreement with him. "Rose, you can't go outside of the Academy," she said. "It's too dangerous. At least not without other guardians with you."

I opened my mouth to protest that I had killed tons of Strigoi – more than was countable. Alberta had actually finally gotten the exact number out of me from when I was gone – I had told her that it was more than thirty. Instead of getting thirty little _molnija_ marks on my neck, she told me that I would just get another star – it was mainly used for when you killed a large number of Strigoi in battle. I liked the idea of one little star on my neck than a whole bunch of little _molnija_ marks. That would hurt like hell and take forever to do. I was supposed to get mine tomorrow since it was Saturday and we didn't have classes.

Before I could actually protest, however, my mother cut me off, "I _know_, Rose. I know you've taken down a lot. But I'd feel better if you had more guardians with you if you have to leave the Academy's wards. Okay?"

I heaved a sigh and nodded my understanding. "Yeah…okay," I said almost grudgingly.

I heard someone approach behind me and I turned to see it was Alberta. She was dressed in her normal combat attire – sweatpants for maximum flexibility and a loose t-shirt that wouldn't slow her down. "Rose? Are you ready for practice?"

I nodded to her before glancing at my mother and Abe. "Yeah, I'm ready," I said. "See you later," I added to the other two and followed Alberta to the gym. I put my bag down in the corner before moving over to the mat where she was already waiting. She may have been getting up there in age, but she could really kick some major ass.

"That was Ibrahim," she noted as I took up my defensive stance.

I gave a nod. "I know," I said, my voice taking on a quiet tone. "I know who he is. Could we not talk about it right now?" I asked, wanting to focus on the lesson for now.

"Of course," Alberta replied as she took an offensive stance, getting ready to attack me. We had been having the lessons for the past two weeks that I'd been back at the Academy. She told me just yesterday that I was multiple levels above the other senior novices.

When our lesson was over, Alberta and I parted and I went off to find Lissa. I could feel her channeling her spirit magic through the bond. It didn't do anything to me of course. I could just feel her becoming overwhelmed with that indescribable feeling she got whenever she used her magic. I was so focused on Lissa's feelings that I didn't even notice until I rounded the corner and ran straight into Adrian.

A low chuckle escaped his lips before he said, "Easy there, little dhampir."

I rolled my eyes slightly at the nickname he'd insisted upon giving me but I smiled a little. "Adrian," I said as a way of a greeting. "I didn't think you'd be up yet – figured you'd have hit the liquor cabinet too hard last night," I added in a joking voice.

"I was putting the finishing touches on that paper I was writing – you know, that one you said I had to do to date you," Adrian said, smirking at me as he handed the paper over. Actually, it was four pages stapled together.

My eyes went big. I had never written a four page paper for anything in my life, and he wrote one on why he should date me? The guy was crazy, I knew, but I hadn't known he was _this_ crazy: over me, apparently. "Holy crap," I said, looking at the papers, seeing that every inch – besides the top and bottom since his printer settings obviously didn't print that far up – was filled with words. "You wrote all this?" I questioned, and Adrian laughed at the look of what must have been astonishment on my face.

Adrian nodded, "Yeah…it wouldn't have taken so long, but…" he gave a shrug as a placeholder for his words and I smiled.

"I'll read it tonight," I told him as I put it in my bag.

Adrian smiled at me, his deep emerald eyes sparkling. "Great," he said, looking more chipper than normal after my words. "I'll let you get to your class…so I'll see you later," he said, moving out of my way before he started walking down the hall.

I shook my head, a smile on my lips as I continued down the hall to where my Bodyguard Training class was with our instructor Stan Alto. After what had happened in Spokane, he'd been more…respectful towards me, and it shocked me. But he had become even more so after the attack on the Academy. It was a pretty good feeling, being given acknowledgement other than the cocky girl in the back row.

I walked into my class and took my seat. I already knew the technique he was talking about, so I spaced out for the moment, putting myself in Lissa's head.

She was walking to the chapel since it was her free period. She wanted some time alone from the other kids to have a chance to think. When I was in her head, I was experiencing all her thoughts and emotions…and at the moment, her heart was aching longingly for Christian. She missed him deeply and just wanted to work things out, but he wouldn't talk to her lately. He had barely said anything to her since the day he found out that she had kissed Aaron.

I personally thought it was kind of childish of him to hold the grudge for this long – I mean how hard would it be to just talk it out with her? Not very.

Lissa climbed the steps into the chapel's attic before she stopped when she reached the top, standing at the entrance of the room. "Oh…sorry," she mumbled as she turned back around to leave.

Christian sighed and stood up from the crate he'd been sitting on and said, "Lissa, wait."

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**Okay, so there it is. Tell me what you think!! That means _review, review, review_****!!**


	4. Chapter Three

**Hey everyone! Thanks for all the reviews on the last chapter! Seeing the review notifications in my email inbox makes me so excited that I check them immediately - it's what inspires me to write a chapter right then. So that means that you have to keep them coming!**

**Disclaimer: Don't Own It**

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**Chapter Three**

Lissa turned her head to look at him with her hand resting on the doorknob of the attic door. "What?" she asked him, her voice quiet but you could clearly hear the sad note in it. "Finally decided to talk to me, have you?"

Christian sighed audibly and shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans, watching her with attentive eyes. It was the same way he always looked at her – with such love and adoration that it made Lissa's heart skip a beat. "Can we just…talk about things?" he asked her quietly, his voice seeming almost loud in the silent attic.

"Why? You didn't seem to interested in talking yesterday, last week, or the week before that," Lissa said, trying to keep confident even though he was making her want to crumble and fall into her arms. "What makes now any different?"

"Look, I've done a lot of thinking," he said, taking a step towards her, though he didn't extend his hand as he would have any other time. He kept a foot of space between them and he looked at her with his blue eyes that made her heart melt into a puddle. He didn't wait for Lissa to ask what he'd been thinking about. She knew, of course, because she knew him almost better than he knew himself. "And…I just need to know…him or me? Honestly, Liss."

Lissa looked right at him, almost hurt that he even had to ask. "You," she said, full of emotion and it was evident in her words. "It's always been you and it always will be."

Christian looked visibly relieved and he nodded his head. "Okay…I just needed to make sure," he said, leaning against a sturdy wooden beam.

Lissa bit her lip, contemplating whether or not to just go and leave him there, or to try and talk to him some more. She wanted to fix them…she _needed_ to fix them. "Christian…I really am sorry," she said to him, her words sincere and sad.

Christian looked pained, and he obviously heard those deep emotions in her voice. "Why couldn't you have just told me?" he asked her, hurt in his voice.

Lissa swallowed hard, her eyes beginning to water. She missed him – missed him so much that it made her heart ache; an ache that wouldn't go away unless he forgave her. "I didn't want you to be mad over something that meant nothing to me," she told him.

"Lissa you should know me better than that by now," Christian said. "Even I've done things that I'm not completely proud of but I've told you every single one of them. Haven't I?" he demanded and Lissa couldn't argue with that. He had.

She nodded her head. "Yes," she said quietly.

"I need to know that you aren't going to keep things from me," Christian added, watching her, his icy blue eyes serious.

"I won't keep anything else from you, I swear," Lissa said, her voice almost pleading with him. She felt desperate – she would do anything at this point to get him back. It was the longest they'd gone since they started dating that they hadn't been together every day. It killed her inside.

Christian took one step closer, to where they were only nearly six inches apart. He looked down at her, and the look he gave her made Lissa's heart melt. He reached out and brushed a strand of hair back from her face, looking down at her. "Never again, okay? Never again keep something like this from me."

Lissa nodded her head almost vigorously, "I promise," she said. "I really do Christian. I'm so sorry."

Christian nodded and pulled her into his arms. The relief flooding through Lissa was nearly overwhelming. She wanted to cry, laugh, smile…do a hundred things at once in that one moment that passed. He pressed his lips to her pale, smooth cheek and murmured, "I love you, Liss. I've missed you so much."

That was honestly the most emotion and probably the sweetest thing I'd heard him say to her and it made me smile to know that things were fixed between them. So with that thought in mind, I separated myself from her. Mission accomplished…even though I really didn't do anything at all.

Back in the classroom someone was waving their hand in front of my face saying, "Rose…earth to Rose."

I looked at the boy in front of me and a smile instantly came across my lips. It was Eddie Castile, one of my few very good friends here at the Academy. "Eddie," I said, a bit surprised for a moment but I was definitely glad to see him. "Hey."

Eddie chuckled since it had taken me a moment to come to from the bond but he gave me one of his signature grins. "About time. I've only been calling our name for…oh, four whole minutes?" he said, his eyes taking on a teasing sparkle.

I laughed, "Sorry. I was just checking on Lissa."

He nodded and was about to say something else but then Stan walked into the room to start the class. I told him we'd talk at dinner and he agreed before we turned in our seats to pay attention to what Stan was talking about at the moment.

When the class was finally over, I had to go to my other class while Eddie went his own way. We'd hardly gotten a chance to talk since he'd been back to the Academy and I'd missed him along with all the others while I had been away. He was a good friend and a protective one as well.

The rest of the day went by uneventfully. When I got back to my room to see what I had to do for my homework, I saw Adrian's paper in my bag. It was four pages, double spaced and even spell-checked, I could see. It still amazed me that he would do something like this just to prove that he wanted to go out with me…and I had to admit, it was flattering and sweet too. I walked over to my bed, stapled papers in hand, before I sat down to read it.

_Rose,_

_I know you weren't serious about me writing this paper, but I figured it was as good a way as any to tell you why you should go out with me, and why you wouldn't regret it._

_I also know that I've been kind of pushy about the subject since I met you, and I didn't mean to be – I was just trying to get your attention. I guess I didn't go about the right way of getting it, huh? _

_Well anyway…reason number one: I treat you with respect. I know you're your own person and, impulsive as you may be at times, and completely reckless, we have that in common. You're one of the only women that I treat with respect and that's because I know you're strong, you don't obsess over your looks like the other girls around here, and you're actually fun to be around. I'm never bored around you, that's for damn sure._

_Reason number two: You're one badass dhampir. Guess that one doesn't really need an explanation does it? If anyone knows how great of a guardian you are and will be, it's you, and I fully agree with you. You're going to do incredible things in your life, and I hope I can see all of them. And hey, I'm one badass Moroi, so we go together. Ironic, huh?_

_Reason number three: I treat you how you should be treated. And no, I'm not talking about all the times I've bugged you. As hard as it may be to believe I actually try to protect you – that's why I force myself into your dreams. It makes me rest easier at night to know that you're safe. Too many things have happened – bad things – to make me comfortable with not knowing how you are. But you can take care of yourself, I know…but I like to think that I'm helping to protect you. Guess it's one of those macho-male things…_

_Reason number four: We're a lot alike, as much as you may not want to admit it. Lissa says it all the time, and so does Christian. We're both sarcastic, reckless, rebellious, passionate about things we believe in…we go well together, like I said before._

_Reason number five: I like you. A lot. More than I let on, actually…I know you might think I have some weird, obsession with you but that's not it at all. You're the only girl I've actually waited to go out with…any other girl I would have gotten bored and given up. But not with you. I've been waiting and waiting for a chance but you were always so wrapped up in Belikov and…I was jealous. Hard to believe, I know, from how mellow I was about it all. But I've been waiting for my chance for a long time, patiently as hard as it might be to believe. _

_Rose, really, if you give me a chance then you won't be disappointed. I won't let you down if you say yes. I'll keep on respecting you and I'll treat you how you should be treated. You're an incredible person Rose, and I want to be part of your life – more than I am now – if you'll let me._

_Please give it some thought. You won't regret it – I promise._

_-Adrian_

When I finished the letter I sat there in stunned silence. For one, who know the boy could write so well? And for another…his letter really got me thinking. He was right. Adrian always treated me well – as well as a sarcastic drinking-Spirit user could treat me. But that was beside the point. He was right in another aspect as well: I'd kept him waiting a long time and he'd never given up on me. He was right there all along…

I stood up from my bed and put the papers down on my desk, putting the mouse to my computer over them so the air coming in from the window wouldn't blow them away. I had to go talk to him.

So I walked out of my room and down the various hallways to where I knew his room was located and I knocked on the door, rocking back on my heels impatiently. I could hear a rustling noise from inside – he was obviously getting up from his leather chair or something – and then the door opened, revealing Adrian looking down at me. "Rose," he said, a smirk coming to his lips. "That was fast."

"Can I come in?" I asked him, biting my lip slightly, feeling with a shock that I almost felt nervous – such a contrast to my usually confident attitude.

Adrian nodded and opened the door wider and moved aside. I stepped into his room – it smelled like Clove cigarettes and a glass of something that looked like half-drunk whiskey sat on the table in front of his couch.

"So I read your paper," I told him once I was inside and Adrian put his hands in his pockets, watching me. He looked as anxious as I felt at the moment.

"And?" he prompted when I paused for several long seconds to gather my thoughts.

"And…it was good. Really good," I told him, taking a small step closer to him, realizing all of a sudden what I was doing…and I wasn't going to stop myself. Maybe this was supposed to happen? Fate or some other twisted Spirit thing?

Adrian watched me, his deep green eyes locked with my brown ones as I continued on, saying, "So…I give it an A+."

Adrian smiled, "A+, huh?" he said, nodding slowly. "Which in Rose Language is…?"

I stepped forward once again until we were face to face and I leaned up, brushing my lips against his very briefly. It felt nothing like when I kissed Dimitri, but it was still nice and sweet and warm.

Adrian smiled at me and reached forward, taking hold of my hand. "You won't be disappointed, Rose," he said, his voice quiet and sincere. This was almost an entirely new side of Adrian that I was seeing and I really liked it, I had to admit.

I smiled at him and nodded, "I know I won't be."

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**So tell me what you thought! Did you like it? Hate it? Hopefully you didn't hate it, lol. And no, I'm not hoping for a permanent Rose/Adrian paring when the series ends, but I have a feeling they ARE going to get together in Spirit Bound, so I'm just trying to write what I think is going to happen....though Adrian is very sweet. If Rose doesn't take him, I will! lol.**

**So...REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW!!**


	5. Chapter Four

**Hey everyone. This chapter's shorter than the last one and I apologize but I had to leave off there to do what I want to in the next chapter effectively. So here is this one for now. I will get started on the next one today since I have two tests for college on Monday...bleh, I know...but yeah, the next one will be up as soon as I can type it. Thanks for all your reviews!**

**Disclaimer: Don't own.**

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**Chapter Four**

"You did what?" Lissa demanded, her pale green eyes wide with surprise and near disbelief. We were in the commons and I knew any minute we were going to be overheard and then the entire school would know about Adrian and me.

I sighed, unable to help the slight smile that came to my lips. "You heard me the first time Liss. Do I have to spell it out for you?" I asked her rhetorically. She sat back in her chair, smiling, her eyes showing excitement. "Oh this'll be so great," she said. "We can double date. Watch movies together and everything," she said.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down," I told her, shaking my head slightly. I had kissed Adrian an hour ago and already she was planning our weekends and weeknights. "I'm not marrying the guy," I joked. "I'm just dating him. So relax. Next thing I know you'll be picking out my wedding dress…"

"You'd have to wear black, though." We both turned our heads to see Christian come into the room with a smile plastered on his lips, his icy blue eyes alight with mischief…which seemed to be teasing me. "You're no saint, Rose. Only the pure and innocent at heart wear white."

I snorted, crossing my arms over my chest as I looked him over. "Uh-huh. I'm just as innocent as you, buddy."

Christian looked very skeptical, but he kept further comments to himself after Lissa elbowed him in the ribs with the ghost of a smile and a sparkle in her eyes. "Oh, Christian, don't tease Rose. She's very sensitive today it seems…I mean who knew she would finally give in to Adrian?"

I expected Christian to at least look surprised but he just nodded. "Yeah, who knew?"

"How did you find out?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow in inquiry.

"Adrian told me," Christian said simply. "Plus I asked him what that shiny stuff on his mouth was…he said it was your lip gloss. Plus he had this goofy smile so I knew he wasn't joking or drunk."

I grimaced slightly at the last word. "Yeah…drunk. I'm going to have to have a talk with him about the cigarettes and drinking…"

"But Rose," Lissa said, leaning forward and lowering her voice. "You know those are things that keep him sane. You can't just take those away, can you?"

I sighed and thought hard for a moment. "Okay, I won't take away the alcohol but the cigarettes have got to go. And he can't be totally wasted with the drinking either," I said, my words firm and decisive. I wondered how I really was going to get Adrian to give up the cigarettes. I'd heard before that giving up smoking was one of the hardest things for people to do. I didn't think it would be any different for him. He was addicted just like any other smoker out there in the world so I guess I had to take that into account.

I gave a yawn, my insides feeling like jelly. I wanted sleep – bad. "Guys I'm gonna go crash. I got an early session with Alberta in the morning," I said, pushing myself up from my chair onto my feet. "Try not to eat each other's face while I'm in Dream Land," I said, smirking at them. Actually, Dream Land scared me. Bad things were there – things like Strigoi Dimitri. If he were still a dhampir in those dreams, I would embrace them and sleep all day…although if Dimitri were still a dhampir, he wouldn't be gone. We could simply sneak away to the guardian's cabin out on the edge of the campus' property and have some alone time in the form of being in each other's arms…preferably without clothing.

But we couldn't. We couldn't be like that ever again until I figured out a way to save Dimitri. I felt almost bad thinking these thoughts since I was with Adrian now but…still. Dimitri was my one true love – I was still giving this thing with Adrian a try. Maybe I could grow to love him, though, if Dimitri couldn't be saved…but I had to stop thinking about this now. It was honestly killing me and I hated the thought of breaking Adrian's heart but I had to do what was right for me too…right?

I hoped so.

Lissa smiled at me, able to see that I was obviously tired. "Okay. Goodnight Rose. Sweet dreams," she said. She always made sure to add that last part ever since the nightmares started. I guess she hoped it would give me peace of mind or something like that.

Christian nodded to me. "Night Rose," he said.

I gave them both a light wave before I started up to my dorm room. When I got inside, I shut the door and pulled on a pair of boy shorts and a big University of Oregon T-shirt I had in a drawer. Being in Oregon seemed like forever ago. Like it was in someone else's life and I guess it had been. Ever since I had been back to the Academy things had happened to me that I wouldn't have imagined in a thousand years. Meeting Dimitri – a badass but soft Russian guardian who loved me… Losing one of my best friends, Mason, back in that house in Spokane while killing my first two Strigoi… then there was losing Dimitri.

I climbed into bed and squeezed my eyes closed, wanting to forget everything from the moment the Strigoi had attacked us on campus. I wanted things to go back to the way they were before but I knew in my heart and in my mind that none of that was possible…not until I found Victor Dashkov.

It was inevitable that we had to go to Victor and make a deal with him – information in exchange for his freedom. He had to tell us where his brother was hiding out at, and we would break him out of the prison in the Moroi Court. His brother alone held the answers for healing a Strigoi, turning them back to their original state. It had only happened once…and it had been successful. I knew I was taking a risk here – a big risk, but I also knew that I had to do it.

So that brought me to another question – if I did get the information on how to heal Dimitri…would he let me get close enough to actually heal him, or would he kill me before I could deliver the cure? The thought had been haunting me ever since I had gotten the letter from Dimitri when I'd gotten back to the Academy, stating that he was indeed alive and he was after me.

Whatever happened would just happen though. There was nothing I could do about it if things didn't go as I want them to and there was everything I could do to ensure that they would go correctly.

Sighing to myself, I finally shut my eyes and tried my very hardest to fall asleep – it wasn't really necessary to try very hard though, since after only several minutes I fell into a deep sleep. For once since I'd been back at the Academy, I didn't dream. My mind was completely inactive tonight – no Dimitri, no Adrian…nothing. It was kind of nice, though. For tonight, I would get a peaceful sleep. For tonight, I was safe from my nightmares.

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**So there it is! What did you think? You know that if you want the next chapter you have to review, review, review!!**


	6. Chapter Five

**Hey everyone! Sorry it's taken me so long but here it is! Chapter five! I hope you like it!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own.**

**Chapter Five**

The next day when I walked into the dining hall from where I had been training with Alberta – and when I say training, I mean rigorously hardcore training. We were both out of breath and sweating at the end, both of us sporting several bruises – I looked around, not seeing Lissa, Christian, Eddie, or Adrian anywhere. That was weird. Usually they were stuffing their faces full of delicious food by now. I wanted to go in there and do that myself since my stomach was aching with hunger, but first things first. I merely reached on a table and grabbed a slice of toast from a girl I didn't like at all, and I walked away from them, leaving them gaping after me as I walked down one of the corridors, looking everywhere for my friends.

I asked several people as I passed if they had seen them and no one had until one guy said he saw them heading up to the chapel. I also saw Eddie in the hallway once, so I knew he wasn't with him. We talked when we could, when we weren't overflowing with homework and training and such.

I finally walked into the chapel and I headed straight for the stairs that led to the attic. I knew that if I could never find them anywhere else, they'd always be in there. Of course. I began hearing their voices as I ascended the stairs.

"I _am_ concentrating," I heard Adrian say with an edge to his voice, obviously frustrated about something. They must have been practicing, I realized. He was trying to get better at healing.

Lissa sighed, "You're not doing a very good job of it," she said and Christian let out a laugh.

I walked into the attic and looked around. Adrian was standing up, focusing on healing a cut on his arm – no doubt one that he made. It made me cringe when I thought of him cutting his arm just to heal it again.

Christian was sitting on a crate with Lissa next to him on one.

"Thanks for inviting me, guys," I said in a sarcastic tone as I pulled up a crate to sit down.

"Sorry," Lissa said. "You were at practice and we were just doing this to pass the time."

I gave a shrug to show that I wasn't bothered by it. Adrian, who had finally managed to heal his arm, looked over at me. I was looking at the pack of cigarettes in his pocket with scrutiny.

"What?" Adrian asked, raising an eyebrow. I hated that he could do that and I couldn't. Dimitri could too…. I pushed thoughts of Dimitri from my mind for now. I had to.

"We need to talk," I told him in a firm tone.

Adrian looked surprised at my tone and said, "Uh…okay."

Lissa looked at Christian and then at us, getting to her feet. "We'll leave you two to talk…" she mumbled as she slipped her hand into Christian's and walked out of the attic. When I heard the door shut behind them, I turned my head back to Adrian.

"There's something that's bugging me," I began. "I want you to stop smoking."

Adrian looked at me like I was crazy. "What?" he said. "Stop smoking? No way. I can't. It's not easy to quit, Rose."

"I know that," I told him. "I'm not saying you have to give up drinking, but I don't want you to be totally wasted by it either. Just…stop smoking. Please. I'll help you."

Adrian shook his head, "Why the hell are you so set on me quitting smoking?" he asked, his voice louder than I thought it would be, and I flinched slightly. "Why can't you just accept it that I smoke and I'm not going to stop? Not for anyone. It keeps me _sane_."

I started at him for a moment and I knew that I had struck a nerve. "Not even for me?" I asked him.

Adrian was quiet for a moment before he shook his head. "No. Not for anyone."

I got up and I crossed my arms over my chest. "If you can't do this for me – and I offered to _help you_ – then maybe we shouldn't be doing this…" My voice was quiet and I actually felt hurt inside that he couldn't even do this for me.

Adrian stared at me for a long moment. "What?" he said. "But…we've only been going out for…what? A day?"

I swallowed and looked out the window before looking back at Adrian, "That isn't the point," I told him. "You can't even do this for me. I…I can't do this if you won't do it," I said and then walked out of the attic and past Lissa and Christian who were sitting on the front pew.

"Rose?" Lissa said as I passed but I just kept walking, angry and a little sad.

"Rose!" I walked a little faster when I heard Adrian's voice call my name and before I knew it I was running out to the courtyard. I didn't get far outside before I just sank onto a bench, sighing.

I heard someone panting behind me and saw Adrian come jogging over to me, Lissa and Christian hanging back by the doors, knowing that they weren't part of this. I knew they just wanted to make sure I was okay. I have such good friends.

Adrian came to a stand still in front of me, hands on his knees as he breathed hard. "I'm not a dhampir, Rose. Slow down next time," he sighed. "Can't we just talk about this?"

"There's nothing to talk about," I told him, anger in my voice but hurt in my eyes.

He sat down beside me and was saying something but I barely heard him because a wave of nausea swam over me.

**So there it is! What do you think? I'm sorry it's short but I had to leave it with a cliffy :) Review please!!!!**


	7. Chapter Six

**So here's the next chapter! This one is my favorite so far and I hope it's yours too! I also made a LiveJournal for my Vampire Academy story/icons & banners and such. I would love it if you guys would add me as your friend on there! I make new icons and banners all the time and there will also be stuff about upcoming stories I'm going to be posting, so make sure you tune into it! So please check it out! **_**It's at . com **_ **You'll have to put it in the right format, of course since this site won't allow URLs. The link will also be on my profile.**

**Disclaimer : Don't own**

**Chapter Six**

I jumped to my feet immediately and started scanning the area. "Get the Guardians!" I said to Adrian and Lissa. If there were any Strigoi near, Christian and I had a better chance against them than the others so they needed to get inside to safety.

"What is it?" Lissa asked me, looking shaken at my sudden burst. "Is it…Strigoi?"

I just nodded. "Yes, now get inside," I said, shoving both Adrian and Lissa towards the doors of the Academy. "Get in there – now!"

Christian and I watched as Adrian grabbed Lissa's arm, pulling her into the school with him, shouting for the Guardians. "They're here. Somewhere," I told Christian, my eyes straining to see. I had my silver stake in my jacket pocket and I pulled it out, clenching it tightly in my hand as I readied myself for an attack.

"There," Christian said, pointing over by the edge of the woods and we saw them, seven Strigoi, advancing towards us with inhuman speed.

"Let's go," I told him and moved forward towards the Strigoi with Christian at my side. When we close enough, Christian let out bursts of fire from his hands, long, steady streams of it while I staked them through the hearts, making them drop like flies. One Strigoi, one I had never seen before, smirked, moving towards me while Christian was busy incinerating another.

I could see students coming out of the school, presumably to help – they were guardians in training and I could also see Eddie running and staking one who had come out of nowhere - in my peripheral vision.

"Well, well, little dhampir," the Strigoi said as we circled one another. I looked for an opening, prayed for an opening. I didn't like his attitude. "Belikov was right. You are quite beautiful."

"Shut up," I said through clenched teeth.

The Strigoi chuckled, a sound so cold that it made me nearly freeze. "So strong too – but I think it's all an act. Belikov seems to think otherwise though." The Strigoi saw someone past me and that was my opening. I lunged forward and drove my stake into his heart, shoving him to the ground as he writhed, dying before me.

Then, I turned to see who was coming towards me. All the other Strigoi were down for the count and the others were just standing there, staring as he came towards me. He who was in my nightmares. He who I had planned on spending my life with. He who I was madly in love with.

"Rose – good form," Dimitri said, smirking that badass smile he used to use all the time.

My heart clenched painfully. "I'll kill you this time," I hissed angrily. I saw Christian move forward to use his magic but I held up my hand. "No, Christian," I said, but my eyes never left Dimitri's dark ones. My stake stayed clenched in my hand, the other Strigoi's blood staining the silver.

"No you won't," Dimitri said. "I'm faster…stronger…I distract you. Remember what I told you? _Do not hesitate_."

"Rose," Alberta said, breaking away from the group, stake in her hand. "Get away from him. Let us handle him."

"No," I said, my voice shaking.

Dimitri was close enough that I could smell the aftershave he used. "Do not hesitate," he repeated and then his mouth was on mine instantly.

I heard an outbreak of talking and gasps from the group of students that had gathered and the headmistress said something that would have earned me a detention.

I pushed Dimitri back and I didn't even realize I was crying. "I hate you!" I screamed at him. "You don't love me anymore! All you do is try to kill me! I'm not going to let you!"

The group of students went quiet and Christian was standing behind Dimitri, looking stricken. He was waiting for me to give him the okay to torch Dimitri.

Dimitri looked the same as last time. Paler with his red eyes that looked to kill. He was strong too – so strong.

"This isn't over Rose. You'll be like us soon. I can promise you that," Dimitri said in a low voice. "Then we can be together. We can lead the Strigoi to get rid of the weak."

I took a swing at Dimitri with the stake but before I could make contact, he took off running into the woods, disappearing. I watched him go, breathing hard and I didn't know if it was from the aching feeling in my chest, or from my physical exertion.

"Rose," Christian's hand settled on my shoulder and I flinched away from him. I walked past him and Alberta and all the students who were gaping at me with pure shock in their expressions. I didn't look at anyone though – not directly; I just kept walking. I didn't even pause when Adrian tried to stop me. I only said a simple, "leave me alone," as I walked up to my room. I shut the door and pulled off my clothes that had the other Strigoi's blood on them. I pulled on a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, sitting on my bed.

He had kissed me. At least thirty people had seen it. It would be all over the school within an hour. Everyone would know. They would know about me and Dimitri being romantically involved. Of course, Rose, Adrian, and Alberta already knew, but now hundreds of people would know.

I lay down on my bed and curled up on my side, facing the wall. I couldn't keep the tears away. They just wouldn't stop. I heard the door to the room open and then close again. I didn't bother looking. I didn't get that nauseous feeling I got when it was Strigoi. I felt the bed get weighed down a bit behind me and then an arm wrapped around my waist, pulling me against a lean chest.

Adrian.

He didn't say anything. I didn't say anything. We didn't have to. It was all out in the open – all our cards were out on the table and everything was revealed. He knew I wasn't over Dimitri – I'm sure he knew that I probably never would be. Adrian was good for me, I knew. Stable. We could have a future together, children. But stable isn't what I want. Adrian loved me though and I loved him…I just wasn't _in_ love with him. I was in love with Dimitri and that would never change.

We laid there for hours, silent. I didn't even remember what time I fell asleep.

**Review if you want more!!**


	8. Chapter Seven

**Hey everyone! I'm sorry this chapter is kind of short - I really really am! But I had to get this out before I prolonged it anymore. I'll try to get the next chapter up soon.**

**ALSO, if you're a Mortal Instruments fan, I'm in the process of writing for that story as well - the first chapter is up and it's called _Affliction_, so you should totally go check it out!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own.**

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**C****hapter Seven**

A week after the Dimitri incident, the Guardians found what had happened that allowed the Strigoi to get into the Academy grounds. There was another stake that broke the wards and obviously since Strigoi can't touch the silver stakes, they had either a human, Moroi, or dhampir to do it for them. Of course, I don't see why a dhampir would do it; we're trained to hate the Strigoi with a passion since the day we're born. It's pure instinct to kill them. So it only left a human or a Moroi as a suspect. But who on earth in the Academy would want to help them? Unless they were sadistic and crazy…we had a few mental cases around here.

But still, I just don't see a student helping. There was more of a chance than not that they had 'hypnotized' a human or something into doing it. I suppose there wasn't much use in thinking about it too hard. I would never find out and the school was already trying to move on from that attack.

Of course, the school was also focused on the fact that Dimitri and I were obviously romantically connected before he'd turned into a Strigoi. I hated the looks I got whenever I walked down the halls and Jill looked almost star struck when she saw me. What was the big deal? So I loved Dimitri. Dimitri loved me. It didn't use to be in a sick, twisted way that he loved me….it used to be so raw, careful, and passionate. But things were different now. Things were so, so different.

"You okay?" Lissa asked me. We were in the old Guardian's shack out in the woods, the one Dimitri and I had been truly together in the day the Strigoi had attacked…when Dimitri had gotten taken from me. The pain was fresh in my heart and I swallowed hard.

I nodded, sitting by the window with my knees up against my chest, my arms around them. "I'm fine, Liss," I said quietly. I had finally confided in here why I had wanted to come here. It was the place where I felt the closest to Dimitri.

Lissa watched my expression – I could feel her staring at me from the corner of my eye. "You're never going to get over him, are you? Why can't you just let yourself be happy with Adrian?" she asked, her tone almost weary.

I turned my head slowly to focus my eyes on her. "Liss, are you kidding me? Would you just be able to easily move on if Christian turned into a Strigoi? If there was some form of his old self in him? Would you?" I didn't notice that my voice was rising slowly.

Lissa flinched slightly. "Rose, I—"

"Rose! Lissa!" Adrian called out and I could hear footsteps running out towards the cabin. I stood up and looked out the other window and then I walked out the door where he was coming up to.

"What?" I asked him, sounding tired.

"Are you ready to be one step closer to finding Robert Dashkov?" he asked, a bright smile appearing on his lips.

I stared at him for a moment. "What are you talking about, Adrian?" I asked him, my brow furrowed with confusion.

"I know for a fact that there will be lessened security in the prison at the Court. We're going to break Victor Dashkov out…and we're going to make him tell us where his brother is." Adrian looked proud of his plan.

I smiled slowly. "You're serious? We're going to break him out of prison?" Excitement showed in my eyes, I was sure. "When?"

"Tomorrow. We've gotta leave tonight when it's dark, though," he told me.

Lissa stood up. "Adrian maybe we should hold off on this until we're sure we're ready for something this big…" she said, sounding unsure.

Adrian sighed. "Lissa, Lissa, Lissa. I think we've waited long enough and I can tell that Rose is getting antsy," he said.

I rolled my eyes slightly and said, "Well let's get ready then because we are _not_ passing up this chance," I said, already walking out of the cabin. "C'mon."

Adrian took hold of my hand and laced his fingers through mine. I couldn't believe that we were going to do this – that we were going to break this man out of prison. I had a feeling thing that things weren't going to run as smoothly as I first thought.

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**So there it is! Again, sorry for its shortness. **

**Review!!**


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